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The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to World War II:
World War II, or the Second World War was a global military conflict that was fought between September 1, 1939, and September 2, 1945. The war pitted two major military alliances against each other: the Allies of the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, China and others against the Axis of Germany, Japan, Italy and others. Over 60 million people, the majority of them civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.
The Second World War was known for modern warfare and tactics such as air warfare, strategic bombing, blitzkrieg and the first, and only, use of nuclear weapons in warfare. It is also known for the numerous war crimes committed during its duration, mostly by Axis forces but also by Allied forces, that left tens of millions of civilians dead through genocides, massacres and starvation; such as the Holocaust, Three Alls Policy, Genocide of ethnic Poles, Unit 731, Nanjing massacre, Hunger Plan and the Warsaw Uprising.
Causes of World War II
Main article: Causes of World War II- World War I
- Imperialism, expansionism and nationalism
- Events preceding World War II in Europe
- Events preceding World War II in Asia
Participants in World War II
Main article: Participants in World War IIThe Axis powers
Main article: Axis powersMajor Axis powers
Main article: Tripartite pactOther Axis powers
The Allied powers
Main article: Allies of World War IIThe 'Big Five' major allies
Main article: Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council
Other major allies
People in World War II
Leaders in World War II
Axis leaders
Main article: Axis leaders of World War II
Adolf Hitler – Führer (leader) of Germany
Hirohito – Emperor of Japan
Benito Mussolini – Prime Minister and Duce of Italy
Allied leaders
Main article: Allied leaders of World War II
Joseph Stalin – Leader of the Soviet Union
Franklin D. Roosevelt – President of the United States
Winston Churchill – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Chiang Kai-shek – Leader of China
Military forces of World War II
British Army during the Second World War
- History of the Royal Navy
- British Army Groups in WWII
- British Corps in World War II List of British Commonwealth divisions in the Second World War
Military history of France during World War II
Military history of the United States during World War II
- List of formations of the United States Army during World War II
- United States Navy in World War II
- United States Army Air Forces
- American Minority Groups in World War II
Military history of the Soviet Union
- Red Army
- Military units and formations of the Soviet Union in World War II
- Field armies of the Soviet Union
National Revolutionary Army
Military history of Germany
- Wehrmacht
- German Army
- Luftwaffe
- Kriegsmarine
- Schutzstaffel
- Waffen-SS
- List of German divisions in World War II
Military history of Japan
- Imperial Japanese Armed Forces
- Imperial Japanese Army
- Imperial Japanese Navy
- List of Japanese Infantry divisions
Military history of Italy during World War II
- List of Italian divisions in World War II
- Royal Italian Army
- Regia Marina
- Regia Aeronautica
- Blackshirts
Timeline of World War II
Main articles: Timeline of World War II and List of World War II battles| Timelines of World War II |
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| Prelude |
| By topic |
| By theatre |
The following list includes some of the largest events in World War II:
1939
Main article: Timeline of World War II (1939)- August 23: Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact
- September 1: Germany invades Poland, beginning the war
- September 3: War is declared on Germany by the United Kingdom and France, the Battle of the Atlantic and Phoney War begins
- September 17: After the Soviet Union defeats Japan in Mongolia, they invade Poland as well
- November 30: The Soviet Union invades Finland
1940
Main article: Timeline of World War II (1940)- April 9: Germany invades Denmark and Norway
- May 10: Germany invades France and the low countries
- May 26: British troops evacuate Dunkirk
- June 10: Italy declares war on United Kingdom and France
- July 10: Germany begins an air campaign against Britain
- September 7: Germany begins a major bombing campaign against Britain
1941
Main article: Timeline of World War II (1941)- June 22: Germany invades the Soviet Union
- September 8: The Siege of Leningrad begins
- October 2: The Battle of Moscow begins
- December 7: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into the war
1942
Main article: Timeline of World War II (1942)- February 8: Fall of Singapore
- May 4: Battle of the Coral Sea
- June 4: Battle of Midway
- July 1: First Battle of El Alamein
- July 17: Battle of Stalingrad
- August 19: Dieppe Raid
- October 23: Second Battle of El Alamein
- November 8: Operation Torch
1943
Main article: Timeline of World War II (1943)- July 4: Battle of Kursk
- July 9: Allied invasion of Sicily
- September 3: Allied invasion of Italy and surrender of Italy
1944
Main article: Timeline of World War II (1944)- January 17: Battle of Monte Cassino
- January 22: Landings at Anzio
- April 19: Operation Ichi-Go
- June 6: D-day
- June 22: Destruction of Army Group Center
- August 1: Warsaw Uprising
- August 15: Invasion of Southern France
- September 17: Operation Market Garden
- September 19: Battle of Hürtgen Forest
- October 23: Battle of Leyte Gulf
- December 16: Battle of the Bulge
1945
Main article: Timeline of World War II (1945)- April 16 - May 2: Battle of Berlin
- May 8: Victory in Europe Day
- August 6 and 9: Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- August 15: Victory over Japan Day
- September 2: Surrender of Japan
World War II by region
Theatres and major campaigns
Main article: List of theatres and campaigns of World War IIEurope
Main article: European Theatre of World War IIAsia
Main article: Pacific WarAfrica
For all theatres in Africa, see: African theatres
Other
By country
Main article: World War II by countryEurope
- Albania
- Belarus
- Bulgaria
- Carpathian Ruthenia
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Leningrad Oblast
- Netherlands
- Soviet Union
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- Yugoslavia
- Occupation of Baltic republics by Nazi Germany
- Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany
- Occupation of Denmark
- German occupation of the Channel Islands
- History of Poland (1939–1945)
- Romania
Asia
Africa
Oceania
The Americas
War crimes
Main article: War crimes in World War IIThe Second World War was characterized by many instances of War crimes:
Genocide
See also: Outline of genocide studiesThe Holocaust
Main article: The Holocaust- Nazism
- Nazi Party
- Nazi eugenics
- Political views of Adolf Hitler
- Anti-Jewish legislation in prewar Nazi Germany
- Diary of Anne Frank
- Nazi book burnings
- Nazi ghettos
- Nazi concentration camps
- Nazi extermination camps
- History of Jews in Europe
- History of the Jews during World War II
- List of major perpetrators of the Holocaust
- Nazi human experimentation
- Racial policy of Nazi Germany
- Persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust
- List of individuals and groups assisting Jews during the Holocaust
Other genocides
Massacres
- Three Alls Policy
- Nanjing massacre
- Massacres during the Warsaw Uprising
- Katyn massacre
Mistreatment of civilians
- Comfort women
- Unit 731
- Rape during the occupation of Germany
- Population transfer in the Soviet Union
Technology during World War II
Technology during World War II
- German military technology during World War II
- Allied technological cooperation during World War II
- Technological escalation during World War II
Equipment of World War II
Vehicles of World War II
- List of World War II military vehicles by country
- List of World War II military vehicles of Germany
- List of World War II ship classes
- List of World War II ships
- List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons
- List of WW2 Luftwaffe aircraft by manufacturer
- List of aircraft of Italy, World War II
- List of aircraft of Japan, World War II
- List of ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy
- List of aircraft of Russia, World War II
- List of aircraft of World War II
- List of aircraft of the French Air Force during World War II
- List of aircraft of the British, World War II
- List of aircraft of the Luftwaffe, World War II
- List of aircraft of the U.S. military, World War II
- List of armored fighting vehicles of World War II
- List of broadsides of major World War II ships
- List of undersea-carried planes during World War II
- List of weapons on Japanese combat aircraft
- List of prototype WWII combat vehicles
- List of foreign vehicles used by Nazi Germany in World War II
- List of helicopters used in World War II
- List of jet aircraft of World War II
Weapons of World War II
- List of World War II weapons
- List of World War II infantry weapons
- List of World War II firearms of Germany
Other initiatives in World War II
Propaganda during World War II
Main article: Propaganda in World War II- Black propaganda
- World War II political cartoons
- List of Allied propaganda films of World War II
- American propaganda during World War II
- British propaganda during World War II
- Propaganda and India in World War II
- Soviet propaganda during World War II
- Nazi propaganda
- Propaganda in Fascist Italy
- Propaganda in Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II
Common military awards
Soviet Union
- Hero of the Soviet Union
- Order of Lenin
- Order of Suvorov
- Order of the October Revolution
- Order of the Red Banner
- Order of Victory
United States
- Medal of Honor
- Purple Heart
- Silver Star
- Bronze Star
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Air Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
- American Campaign Medal
United Kingdom
- Victoria Cross
- Air Force Cross
- Order of the Bath
- Order of the British Empire
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Africa Star
- Pacific Star
France and Belgium
Poland
Nazi Germany
Aftermath of World War II
Main article: Aftermath of World War IIThe end of World War II
Immediate events
The post-war world
- Cold War
- Emergence of United States and USSR as global superpowers
- NATO
- Warsaw Pact
- Iron Curtain
- Proxy wars
- Decolonization
- Post–World War II baby boom
- Pursuit of Nazi collaborators
World War II - related media
- World War II in popular culture
- The Holocaust in popular culture
- List of World War II films
- History books about World War II
See also
Notes
- The Kingdom of Italy was an axis power until it changed sides to the Allies after an armistice in 1943. After the armistice, the Italian Social Republic was set up as a German puppet state still under Mussolini.
- As the Slovak Republic, a German client state
- During the Continuation War
- From June 1941
- From December 1941
- China had been fighting an undeclared war against Japan since 1937, with various other conflicts since 1931. On December 9, 1941, they officially joined the war
- In June 1940, France surrendered and a government-in-exile, Free France, was formed that fought with the Allies until the Provisional government was formed in 1944
- Yugoslavia was occupied after an invasion, but there were prominent partisan groups that continued fighting
- The emperor was the titular leader of Japan and had the final say on decisions, but his power was still (somewhat) limited. The Prime Minister (Fumimaro Konoe and later Hideki Tojo for most of the war) held immense political power, and thus the emperor was not a dictator in the way Hitler or Mussolini were
- Victor Emmanuel III was the Italian head of state and did overrule Mussolini on certain occasions (such as refusing to join the Second World War until 1940 and even deposing him in 1943), but Mussolini used more de facto power and influence than the king
- Stalin was neither the head of state nor the head of government, but he held de facto dictatorial power
- Harry S. Truman from April 1945
- Neville Chamberlain until May 10th 1940 and Clement Attlee from July 1945
- China was fragmented at the time due to a halted civil war and legacies of the warlord era; thus, other leaders such as Mao Zedong of the Chinese Communists and various warlords (such as Li Zongren, Yan Xishan and (initially) Zhang Xueliang) had significant power. However, Kai-shek was the leader of the nationalists which allied with the communists and controlled most of China during the Second World War
- And Slovakia
- Other dates have been proposed, but September 1, 1939, is generally accepted
- The United States Congress did not officially declare war until the next day
- Signed on September 3, declared on September 8
- Undeclared from 1937 to 1941, this war merged into World War II in 1941
References
- Dunnigan, James; Albert Nofi. Dirty Little Secrets of World War II: Military Information No One Told You About the Greatest, Most Terrible War in History, William Morrow & Company, 1994. ISBN 0-688-12235-3
- Bix, p. 457.
Bibliography
- Bix, Herbert P. (September 4, 2001). Hirohito and the making of modern Japan. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-093130-8. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
External links
- Directories
- General
- World War II Database
- The Second World War—Spartacus Educational
- Deutsche Welle special section on World War II created by one of Germany's public broadcasters on World War II and the world 60 years after.
- Canada and WWII
- End of World War II in Germany
- World War II Encyclopedia by the History Channel
- World War II Awards and their recipients.
- Media
- U.S. National Archives Photos
- World War II Poster Collection Archived 2009-09-05 at the Wayback Machine hosted by the University of North Texas Libraries' *Digital Collections
- World War II Propaganda Leaflet Archive
- World War 2 Pictures In Colour
- Multimedia map—Presentation that covers the war from the invasion of the Soviet Union to the fall of Berlin
- Radio news from 1938 to 1945
- The Art of War Online Exhibition at the UK National Archive
- On-line documents
- World War II Military Situation Maps. Library of Congress
- After Action Reports (AAR's) and other official documents about the American Divisions during the Second World War
- Maps from the Pacific and Italian theaters
- Officially Declassified U.S. Government Documents about World War II Archived 2008-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
- The Soviet History of World War II, 28 October 1959—Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Current Intelligence.
- Daily German action reports
- Stories
- WW2 People's War—A project by the BBC to gather the stories of ordinary people from World War II
- Documentaries
- The World at War (1974) is a 26-part Thames Television series that covers most aspects of World War II from many points of view. It includes interviews with many key figures (Karl Dönitz, Albert Speer, Anthony Eden etc.) (Imdb link)
- The Second World War in Colour (1999) is a three episode documentary showing unique footage in color (Imdb link)
- Battlefield (documentary series) is a television documentary series initially issued in 1994–1995 that explores many of the most important battles fought during the Second World War.
- The War (2007) is 7-part PBS documentary recounting the experiences of a number of individuals from American communities.
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